Destiny
Destiny plays a large roll in the Star Wars universe. As a young boy, Anakin Skywalker is told that his Destiny is to bring balance to The Force. Padmé's Destiny is to give birth to the twins, Luke and Leia, so that they can fulfill their own Destinies. Luke Skywalker learns that his Destiny is to redeem his father, Darth Vader, so that balance to The Force is restored. Leia's Destiny is to save the Rebellion from annihilation at the hands of the Empire and help forge the New Republic. The Destiny mechanic helps players and Gamemasters recognize that all heroes- and even major villains- have significant roles to play in the fate of the galaxy. Destiny rewards players for good roleplaying and gives Gamemasters new plot hooks to use when designing adventures. The rules presented in this article are optional. A Gamemaster may decide to use Destiny Points or not; however, the decision to use them should be made before the campaign gets underway, so that each player can decide whether or not to embrace a Destiny for their character from the outset. Although conceivably any character- Heroic or Nonheroic- has a Destiny to fulfill, only heroic characters receive Destiny Points and receive in-game benefits for pursuing their Destinies. Nonheroic characters don't receive Destiny Points; their Destinies, whatever they might be, exist purely on a story level. Choosing a Destiny Players don't need to choose Destinies for their heroes at the start of the campaign- or ever, for that matter. Not every hero has a Destiny that must be fulfilled before the end of the campaign, and even players who want their characters to have Destinies need to give their characters- and the campaign- a chance to develop first. It may take several adventures before players understand where the campaign is going and what goals their heroes are likely to pursue. Choosing a Destiny can be handled in one of two ways: Either the player can select an appropriate Destiny for their hero (Based on what's happening in the campaign), or the Gamemaster can select a secret Destiny for the hero. If the player chooses a Destiny for their character, the GM should challenge the player to fulfill their Destiny by presenting conflicting situations where the smartest and most beneficial decision might force the character to choose between doing what is best for their fellow heroes and taking steps toward their Destiny. If the GM secretly chooses the hero's Destiny, they must present challenges that let the character move closer to achieving their Destiny, imparting benefits when the character is moving in the right direction and imposing penalties when the character does something that takes them far from the Destined path. The GM-selected "Secret Destiny" forces the player to take their character through a period of self-discovery, as they learn which actions lead them closer to- or farther from- their Destiny. In essence, this mirrors Luke Skywalker's struggle at the end of The Empire Strikes Back, when he must choose between redeeming his father and falling prey to the corruption of The Dark Side. A character with a Destiny gains short-term benefits whenever they make significant progress toward fulfilling it, while a character who pursues goals that move them further away form their Destiny suffers short-term negative effect. Conversely, a character without a Destiny has nothing to gain and nothing to lose. Destiny Points Destiny Points are resources that a player can use to help fulfill whatever Destiny has been set before their character. A 1st-level character begins play with 1 Destiny Point and gains another Destiny Point at each level. A Destiny Point allows a hero to perform a nearly impossible task or survive against all odds. Only a character with a Destiny can gain or spend Destiny Points. Spending Destiny Points Spending a Destiny Point does not take an Action and grants one of the following benefits: *Automatically score a Critical Hit (No attack roll required). *Automatically cause an attack made against you to miss (Even after the attack is resolved). *Act out of turn (Thus changing your position in the Initiative Order) once per encounter. *Take damage that would otherwise harm another character within your reach. *Increase the effect of some Force Powers (As noted in their descriptions). *Immediately gain 3 Force Points. A character may accumulate as many Destiny Points as their level. Thus, a 5th-level character may have as many as 5 Destiny Points if they don't spend any of them. When a character fulfills their Destiny, they can choose to keep the Destiny Points that they accumulated, or transfer some or all of them to allied characters. A character who retains their unspent Destiny Points can't spend them until they acquire a new Destiny. A character who chooses to give away some or all of their Destiny Points can't give more than 1 Destiny Point to any single ally. Under no other circumstances may a character transfer their Destiny Points to another character. For example, Sia-Lan fulfills her Destiny by redeeming a powerful dark-sider, after witch she still has 2 unspent Destiny Points. Sia-Lan decides to give Vor'en and Rorworr- two of her compatriots- 1 Destiny Point each, leaving her with 0 Destiny Points. Sample Destinies The following sample Destinies should provide a starting point for any character wishing to take advantage of the Destiny rules. Each Destiny includes a brief description, with examples. *'Destiny Bonus: '''When a character accomplishes a goal or performs a task that clearly moves them closer to fulfilling their Destiny (GM's determination), they gain this short-term benefit. *'Destiny Penalty: 'When a character does something that clearly moves them away from their Destiny (GM's determination), they suffer a short-term negative effect. *'Destiny Fulfilled: 'When a character fulfills their Destiny, they gain these permanent benefits. Sometimes fulfilling a Destiny has other effects as well; these are also covered here. Death and Destiny Achieving one's Destiny may yield great benefits, but the path of Destiny can be perilous. Many characters in the ''Star Wars saga perish attempting to fulfill their Destinies. If a Force-Sensitive character dies while fulfilling (Or attempting to fulfill) their Destiny, the Gamemaster may allow the dead character to manifest as a Force Spirit. If a non-Force-user perishes while pursuing or achieving their Destiny, the GM may decide that the character's sacrifice or untimely death imparts some benefits upon their surviving allies. Force Spirits Main Article: Force Spirits A Force-user who dies in the process of fulfilling their Destiny may manifest as a Force Spirit. For a Jedi or other good Force-users, this means transforming into a translucent blue spirit that can appear before their former allies. For a darksider, this means becoming an evil Dark Side Spirit that can linger on, continuing to spread the influence of The Dark Side. If a character with the Force Sensitivity Feat dies while fulfilling their Destiny, that character may become a Force Spirit, retaining their consciousness (And their Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores) but continuing completely incorporeal. The Force Spirit can manifest at will and can vanish just as easily. It can also walk through walls and exist in the vacuum of space. Additionally, Force Spirits can travel anywhere in the galaxy instantly with a mere thought. However, Force Spirits have no substance and cannot interact physically with creatures or objects in the universe. When a hero dies and becomes a Force Spirit, that Force Spirit becomes a GM-controlled character. Under the GM's control, a Force Spirit might serve as a guide, advising heroes in times of dire need and sharing valuable information or wisdom it held in life. Noble Sacrifice Whenever a character willingly sacrifices themselves for a noble cause, particularly while fulfilling their Destiny, they can bolster the resolve of their surviving comrades and allies. For example, when Arvel Crynyd crashed his A-wing into the bridge of The Executor, it was a turning point in the Battle of Endor. When a character dies fulfilling their Destiny in such a way, all allies within the same star system gain a +1 Destiny bonus on attack rolls and +1 Destiny bonus to their Defenses (Reflex, Fortitude, and Will) for 24 hours. Vengeance When a valid ally falls in the pursuit of their Destiny, it can have powerful effects on those present at the time of their death. When a character dies fulfilling their Destiny, any ally who witnesses their death may choose to become filled with a desire to avenge their fallen comrade, gaining a +2 Destiny bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls for 24 hours. Since revenge leads to The Dark Side, any Force-user who chooses to gain these bonuses must immediately increase their Dark Side Score by 1.